-a«»— 


3.  -&.  M-^^- 


'7        :      "2      'O 


PRIlSrCETON,     N.    J. 


\^j6?t/^/^  X\ .  YX\\Avra\ 


.9/^^//.. 


Seetic), 
Alt  II  It 


/^?  .^  JW^-».c..i^  i^     — ^ >^^^^^^^. 

/s-  -^^S^^i^^^-  ^^y^-— /^^^^•xi*,-.uL,.v^- 
^;  >.    /    ^/.   ^   ■        .  /^^^ 

^^^  d^qA^-^oru^  0yr -^ 


^ 


From  the  Biblical  Repertory  of  January,  1829. 


IXTRODUCTORY  liECTURE, 


DELIVERED  IS  THE 


THEOIiOGICAIi  SEMINARY, 

PRINCETON,  N.  J.  NOV.  7,  1828. 


BY  CHARLES  HODGE. 


Connolly  k  Madden.,  Printers. 


LECTURE, 

ADDRESSED  TO  THE  STUDENTS 

OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


My  Dear  Brethren, 

In  entering  anew  upon  my  duties  in  this  institution,  I  feel 
constrained  to  acknowledge  the  goodness  of  God,  by  which 
I  have  been  so  kindly  preserved,  and  restored  to  the  field  of 
labor  to  which  he  has  called  me.  As  it  was  a  desire  to  be- 
come more  useful  to  you,  that  led  me  to  leave,  for  so  pro- 
tracted a  period,  my  friends  and  country,  my  heart  has  been 
constantly  turned  towards  this  institution  ;  and  it  frequently 
occurred  to  me,  that  should  I  live  to  return  to  my  native  land, 
I  would  endeavour  to  impress  upon  your  minds,  the  practi- 
cal truths  which  the  circumstances  of  foreign  states  and 
countries,  had  deeply  impressed  upon  my  own.  It  is  true, 
the  vividness  of  these  impressions  has  faded  away,  but  the 
convictions  in  which  they  resulted,  remain.  Although  the 
truths  referred  to,  are  obvious,  and  their  importance  admitted; 
and  although  I  may  fail  to  bring  before  your  minds,  the  vari- 
ous circumstances  which  impress  them  upon  the  mind  of 
an  American  Christian  in  Europe,  it  may  still  be  useful  to 
state  some  of  these  points,  and  some  of  the  grounds  on  which 
the  opinions  entertained  respecting  them,  are  founded. 

I.  One  of  the  most  obvious  lessons  which  an  American 
Christian  is  taught,  by  a  residence  in  Europe,  is,  the  great 
importance  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

We  are  apt,  I  know,  to  indulge  in  unthinking  declamation 
on  this  subject,  and  to  cherish  exaggerated  notions  of  our  pe- 


4 

culiar  advantages  in  these  respects.  Nor  can  it  be  question- 
ed, that  much  of  our  disUke  of  the  pecuUar  forms  of  foreign 
governments,  arises  from  no  very  pure  feeling.  The  im- 
pressions, however,  commonly  entertained  regarding  the 
amount  of  personal  liberty,  enjoyed  under  these  govern- 
ments, are  doubtless  erroneous.  In  many  cases,  the  most 
distinguished  stations  in  every  department  are  accessible  to 
all  classes,  and  there  is  no  doubt,  that  in  some  of  the  more 
despotic  even  of  these  governments,  the  laws  are  made  with 
as  pure  a  regard  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community,  and 
are  administered  with  as  much  impartial  justice  as  they  ever 
have  been,  or  are  likely  to  be  in  our  own.  It  is  clear  too, 
that  when  the  authority  is  vested  in  the  hands  of  one  indi- 
vidual, good  may  be  much  more  promptly  effected  than 
when  it  is  lodged  in  the  mass  of  the  people.  Is  it  not  a  sub- 
ject of  constant  complaint  among  us,  that  measures  designed 
and  adapted  to  the  mental  and  moral  improvement  of  the 
people,  cannot  be  carried  into  effect, because  the  least  enlight- 
ened portion  of  the  community  is  opposed  to  them  ?  It  is, 
however,  very  far  from  my  design,  and  would  be  very  unsuit- 
able to  the  present  occasion,  to  enter  upon  any  discussion 
of  the  comparative  advantages  of  different  forms  of  govern- 
ment. I  merely  wish  to  state,  what  I  think  would  be  the  im- 
pression made  upon  any  candid  individual  on  this  subject. 
He  would  doubtless  see,  and  be  ready  to  admit,  that  many  of 
his  early  opinions  were  unfounded  ;  that  there  are  advan- 
tages attending  the  European  systems  which  he  had  not  pre- 
viously properly  appreciated,  and  yet,  he  would  be  deeply 
convinced  of  their  general  evil  tendency,  and  of  the  inesti-. 
mable  blessing  which  we  enjoy  in  our  own.  The  great 
advantage  which  constitutes  in  the  eye  of  the  Christian  the 
value  of  our  system,  is  its  elevating  effect  upon  the  mass 
of  the  population.  Where  the  people  have  nothing  to  oc- 
cupy and  excite  their  minds  beyond  the  mere  routine  of 
their  daily  labor ;  where  they  are  never  called  upon  to  think 
and  act  in  reference  to  important  and  general  objects;  where 


5 

passive  obedience  is  substituted  for  active  co-operation; 
there  the  mind  inevitably  sinks — a  heavy  unexcitable  cha- 
racter is  induced  which  nothing  can  change.  Notwithstand- 
ing, therefore,  the  advantage  which  in  some  countries  of 
Europe  the  people  enjoy  of  early  education,  yet  returning 
at  an  early  age  to  the  dull  duties  of  a  peasant's  life,  they 
soon  relapse  into  a  state  of  unthinking  apathy  and  sluggish- 
ness. The  contrast  between  them  and  the  cultivators  of  the 
soil  in  our  own  country  is  immense.  This  mental  inactivity 
is  itself  a  great  evil — man  is  degraded — he  is  less  an  intel- 
lectual being,  and  less  susceptible  of  moral  or  intellectual 
impressions.  It  is  in  this  light  and  for  this  reason,  that 
we  are  called  upon  as  the  friends  of  religion,  and  human  im- 
provement, to  rejoice  in  the  free  institutions  with  which  God 
has  blessed  our  happy  country. 

I  have  already,  however,  dwelt  longer  than  1  intended 
upon  this  part  of  the  subject.  The  view  in  which  liberty  is 
most  interesting  to  us,  is  in  reference  to  the  church.  The 
kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this  world,  but  it  constitutes  in 
the  world,  a  self-existent  and  independent  society,  and  as  such 
has  all  the  rights  of  self-government.  Among  these  essen- 
tial rights,  which  the  church  can  never  resign  and  which  can 
never  be  lawfully  taken  from  her;  are  the  rights  of  deciding 
upon  the  terms  of  membership,  selecting  and  ordaining  her 
own  officers,  regulating  her  internal  concerns,  the  exercise 
of  discipline,  and  in  short,  all  those  rights  which  arc  inherent 
in  a  voluntary  association  recognised  by  the  laws.  When 
the  church  is  so  united  to  the  state  as  to  lose  this  individuality 
of  character,  and  resign  the  rights  of  self-government,  it  be- 
comes a  mere  branch  of  a  secular  system.  The  head  of  the 
state  is  the  head  of  the  church,  and  exercises,  as  such,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  the  governing  power.  Under  such  a 
system,  ministers  of  the  gospel,  are  servants  of  the  crown, 
{Staatsbeamten,  as  they  are  called  in  the  Prussian  laws,) 
appointed  for  the  instruction  of  the  people  in  religion,  as 
judges  and  civil  officers  are  appointed  for  the  administration 


6 

of  the  laws.  The  church  is  governed  by  men  appointed  by 
the  civil  authority,  it  cannot  choose  its  own  officers,  make 
its  own  laws,  nor  cast  out  unwholesome  members. 

However  beautiful  it  may  be  in  theory,  to  regard  the  king 
as  the  father  of  a  great  family  ;  and  as  such,  bound  and 
authorized,  to  provide  for  all  its  wants,  secular  and  spiritual ; 
it  never  can,  in  the  present  state  of  the  world,  be  carried 
into  practice,  without  either  making  the  state  subservient  to 
the  church,  or  the  church  an  engine  of  government  to  the 
state.  The  former  has  been  the  result  in  Catholic,  the  lat- 
ter in  Protestant  countries. 

The  evils  resulting  from  this  union  are  obvious,  and  una- 
voidable.    The  church  being  put  into  the  hands,  and  under 
the  direction  of  statesmen,  is  of  course,  used  for  attaining  the 
object  which  the  state,  as  such,  has  in  view,  viz.  the  tempo- 
ral well-being  of  society.     They  require  in  its  officers,  no 
other  qualifications  than  such  as  this  object  demands  ;  they 
take  cognizance  of  no  offences  but  such  as  obviously  militate 
against  it.     When  the  church  is  thus  secularized,  that  the 
clergy  should  become  worldly,  would  seem  inevitable.     Be- 
sides this,  civil  rulers,  were  they  ever  so  well  qualified  to 
exercise  the  governing  power  in  the  church,  in  many  cases, 
cannot  do  it  without  injustice,  for  in  their  hands  ecclesiasti- 
cal discipline  becomes  a  secular  punishment.     To  depose  a 
man  from  the  ministry,  is  often  virtually  to  banish  him  his 
country  ;  to  prevent  a  profligate  parent  from  presenting  his 
child  for  baptism,   is  to  deprive  that  child  of  most  of  tlie 
rights  of  citizenship.     It  is  next  to  impossible  to  preserve 
cither  purity  of  faith  or  practice,  under  such  circumstances. 
When  the  church  has  once  fallen  in  errors  however  serious, 
how  is  the  evil  to  be  remedied?  Should  a  number  of  scattered 
ministers  become  orthodox  and  pious,  what  can  they  do  t 
They  can  preach  and  write,  but  having  no  authority,  they 
cannot  stop  the  tide  of  irreligious  men  constantly  flowing 
into  the  sacred  office.     They  are  completely  fettered,  and 
weep  in  silence  over  the  desolations  which  they  cannot  re- 


store.     A  free  community  is  a   living  community,  it  can 
throw  oflits  own  impurities,  and  if  it  fall  can  rise  again. 

One  of  the  most  striking  illustrations  of  the  advantages  of 
self-government  in  religious  societies,  is  exhibited  in  the  case 
of  the  Moravians  in  Germany.     During  all  the  desolating 
reign  of  infidelity  in  that  country,  they  have  retained  their 
fdith  and  piety,     in  some  instances,  the  fervor  of  religion  has 
declined  among  them,  but  the  vital  principle  remained,  and 
the  society  as  a  whole,  is  probably  to  this  day  in  as  favor- 
able a  state   as  any  other  equal  portion  of  the  Christian 
church.     Their  settlements,  even  in  their  external  appear- 
ance, from  their  order  and  neatness,  and  the  elevated  charac- 
ter of  the  people,  are  like  verdant  spots  in  the  desert.     And 
while  infidelity  prevailed  all  around  them,  here  the  gospel 
was  still   preached  and  loved.      Another  equally  striking 
example  may  be  cited  in  the  Dissenters  of  England.     I  am 
aware  that  eflfects  of  this  nature  are  seldom  attributable  to 
any  one  cause,  but  I  am  persuaded,  that  among  the  various 
causes  which  combine  in  the  production  of  the  effect  now 
referred  to,  that  of  self-government  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant.    It  is,  at  least,  an  important  fact,  that  the  freest 
churches  are  the  purest.    In  those  sections  of  Prussia,  where 
the  church  has  retained  most  of  its  rights,  it  has  retained 
most  of  its  purity.     In  the  Rhine  Provinces,  the  reformed 
churches,  surrounded  by  a  CathoHc  population,  were  allow- 
ed by  their  Catholic  sovereigns,  to  manage  their  own  affairs, 
and,  since  their  union  with  Prussia,  have  retained  more  or 
less  of  their  power.     Here  the  influence  of  infidelity  was  the 
least  felt,  and  the  soonest  thrown  off:  and  here  religion  is 
in  a  more  flourishing  condition  than  in  any  other  part  of 
the  country.     The  same  may  be  said  with  some  limitation 
of  sev-eral  cantons  of  Switzerland.     The  clergy  of  the  can- 
ton of  Basle,  arc  as  a  body  orthodox  and  pious ;  a  large 
portion  of  those  in  the  canton  de  Vaud,  is  of  the  same  char- 
acter.     But  with  regard  to  Switzerland,  it  is  diflicult  to 


8 

speak.  We  are  in  the  habit  of  regarding  it  as  the  land  of 
liberty ;  but  in  ecclesiastical  affairs,  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
constraint.  In  the  Catholic  cantons  no  Protestants,  until 
recently,  were  tolerated,  and  in  those  purely  Protestant,  the 
laws  were  equally  severe  against  the  Catholics.  The  form 
of  government  in  each  canton,  is  peculiar  to  itself.  In  most, 
it  is  more  or  less  aristocratical,  and  in  all  the  Protestant  can- 
tons, I  believe,  the  magistrates  have  a  dominant  influence  in 
the  affairs  of  the  church.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
free  cities  of  Germany,  as  Frankfort,  Bremen,  and  Ham- 
burg ;  and  therefore  the  decline  of  religion  in  such  cities, 
cannot  fairly  be  cited  as  examples  of  the  decline  of  indepen- 
dent churches.  In  the  last  named  city,  the  evil  of  magistrates 
having  authority  in  the  church,  is  deeply  felt  at  the  present 
moment ;  the  clergy  have  been  prohibited  from  preaching 
on  the  points  in  dispute  between  the  orthodox  and  the  ra- 
tionalists ;  permission  has  been  refused  to  the  advocates  of 
the  truth  to  publish  on  these  subjects,  and  in  various  ways, 
the  reviving  spirit  of  piety  has  been  repressed  and  opposed. 
This  is  a  deeply  interesting  subject.  The  great  question 
whether  the  church  can  sustain  itself  without  the  aid  of  the 
state, has  never  perhaps  been  subjected  to  so  fair  and  extended 
a  trial  since  the  fourth  century  as  at  present  in  our  own  coun- 
try. As  far  as  the  experiment  has  hitherto  been  made,  the  re- 
sult is  as  favorable  as  the  friends  of  religious  liberty  could 
reasonably  expect.  Two  centuries  have  elapsed  since  the 
first  persecuted  settlers  of  New-England  set  their  feet  upon 
these  shores,  to  rear  a  church  in  all  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  has  made  us  free.  The  population  of  that  section  of 
the  country  has  increased  from  a  few  individuals  to  eighteen 
hundred  thousand,  and  there  is  now  one  minister  to  every 
thousand  souls  ;  a  proportion  greater  than  in  some  of  the 
oldest  countries  of  Europe ;  and  there  is  doubtless,  no  equal 
population  upon  earth  to  whom  the  gospel  is  administered 
with  greater  fidelity  and  purity.     The  same  may  be  said  of 


our  own  church,  and  of  various  sections  of  our  country  and 
denominations  of  Christians.     In  estimating  the  success  of 
this   experiment,  there  are  two  important   circumstances 
which  should  be  taken  into  account.     The  one  is  the  rapid 
increase  of  our  population.     The  American  churches  have 
had  to  supply  the  means  of  religious  instruction,  not  merely 
to  the  regular  and  natural  increase  of  their  number,  but  to 
keep  pace  with  a  population  which  doubles  itself  in  twenty- 
five  years.     The  other  circumstance  is,  that  in  many  parts 
of  our  country,  the  population  is  so  sparse,  that  to  bring  the 
ordinances  of  religion  within  the  convenient  reach  of  every 
family,  would  require  one  minister  to  every  few  hundred 
individuals.    Taking  these  circumstances  into  consideration, 
I  think  that  it  may  safely  be  asserted,  that  quite  as  much 
has  been  accomplished  towards  supplying  the  people  with 
religious  instruction,  as  in  countries  where  this  duty  rests 
upon  their  governments,  and  quite  as  much  as  would  have 
been  accomplished  by  any  church  establishment ;    and  to 
unspeakably  better  purpose.     Still,  the  experiment  is  but  in 
progress,  and  the  eyes  of  the  friends  of  religion,  and  of  reli- 
gious liberty,  are  watching  its  advance  with  the  most  intense 
anxiety.     Every  effort  made  by  the  free  churches  in  Ame- 
rica, to  supply  the  gospel  to  their  destitute  brethren,  fills 
their  hearts  with  joy.     Nor  are  they  alone  in  the  interest 
which  they  take  in  the  state  of  things  in  this  country.    Those 
who  differ  from  them  in  opinion  on  this  subject,  are  watch- 
ing us  too,  and  often  appeal   to  what  they  deem  the  failure 
of  the  experiment,  in  America,  of  a  church  standing  with- 
out the  aid  of  government.     The  accounts  so  often  pub- 
lished among  us,  of  extensive  regions  destitute  of  the  means 
of  grace,  are  produced  as  evidence  of  this  failure.     The 
amount  of  good  really  accomplished,  and  the  greatness  of 
the  task  imposed  on  the  American  churches,  they  cannot 
appreciate,  and  are  thus  unfortunately  led  to  argue,  from 
our  experience,  against  the   expediency  of  releasing  the 

B 


10 

struggling  church,  in  their  own  country.     I  have  heard  dis- 
tinguished men  affirm,  that  if  the  king  of  Prussia  should  with- 
draw his  hand  from  the  church  in  his  dominions,  it  would 
fall  at  once;  and  that,  at  the  expiration  of  a  century,  they  did 
not  believe  there  would  remain  a  trace  of  Christianity  in  the 
land.     But  can  this  be  so  ?  is  the  gospel  so  powerless  ?  must 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  be  propped  and  supported  by  human 
power,  or  fall  to  the  ground  ?  must  the  church  submit  to  the 
contamination,  unavoidable  on  her  union  with  the  state,  or 
cease  to  exist?     For  the  honor  of  Christ  and  his  gospel,  let 
this  never  be  said.     But  let  us,  brethren,  awake  to  the  full 
interest  and  importance  of  the  task  to  which  God  has  called 
us.   If  the  sad  tale  be  to  be  told,  in  every  Christian  country, 
and  at  every  Christian  fire-side,  (for  the  interest  taken  in  this 
subject  is  well  nigh  universal,)  that  the  American  church  has 
fallen,  that  the  grand  experiment  has  failed,  let  it  not  be  in 
consequence  of  the  remissness  of  the  present  generation. 
Our  fathers  have  effected  much  in  this  work,  and  have  left 
the  rapidly  increasing  task  to  us  ;  and  a  more  sacred  duty, 
a  duty  more  vitally  involving  the  interests  and  honor  of  re- 
ligion, cannot  be  conceived,  than  that  of  supplying  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  gospel  to  the  rapidly  increasing  population  of 
our  country,  without  being  brought  to  the  sad  necessity  of 
resigning  liberty  for  life.     For  we  may  rest  assured  that,  if 
the  state  support  the  church,  she  will  govern  it.   Then,  fare- 
well to  the  purest  glory  of  this  Western  Hemisphere.    Ame- 
rica will  have  failed  of  her  destiny,  and  left  her  grand  vocation 
unaccomplished. 

II.  Permit  me  now  to  introduce  another  subject  scarcely 
less  important,  as  the  second  point  I  would  mention,  in 
which  the  mind  of  an  American  Christian  would  be  deeply 
interested  from  a  residence  in  Europe,  viz.  the  training  of 
youth  in  knowledge  and  religion. 

The  comparison  between  the  state  of  things  in  our  coun- 
try, and  that  existing  in  Europe,  respecting  the  church,  is 


11 

most  decidedly  to  our  advantage ;  but  in  reference  to  the  point 
now  brought  forward,  I  am  afraid  it  is  the  reverse.  I  shall  in 
a  very  few  words,  state  the  system  pursued  in  Prussia,  both 
because  I  had  better  opportunities  of  learning  its  character, 
and  because  I  presume  it  is  at  least  equal  to  any  other  in 
general  use.  And  first,  the  schools  are  divided  into  three 
classes  ;  the  higher  schools  or  gymnasia,  designed  for  men 
intended  for  one  of  the  learned  professions  ;  the  schools 
for  merchants  and  higher  order  of  mechanics ;  and  those  for 
the  peasantry.  Teachers  for  all  these  are  regularly  educated 
for  their  business.  Those  intended  for  the  gymnasia,  after 
having  spent  seven  or  eight  years  in  one  of  these  institutions, 
proceed  to  the  university,  where  they  remain  from  three  to 
five  years,  attending  the  lectures  on  the  branches  in  which 
they  are  to  become  teachers.  Having  completed  this  course, 
they  are  subjected  to  a  rigorous  examination,  which,  if  they 
satisfactorily  sustain,  they  are  eligible  to  the  office  of  instruc- 
ters  in  the  higher  schools,  commencing  with  the  lower 
classes  and  rising  according  to  merit.  Those  who  are  de- 
signed for  the  second  class  of  schools,  have  an  entirely  diffe- 
rent training  ;  for  this  purpose,  there  is  in  each  of  the  ten 
provinces  at  least  one  large  seminary.  In  these  institutions 
the  future  teachers,  are  instructed,  not  only  in  the  branches 
they  are  themselves  to  teach,  but  also  in  the  art  of  teaching ; 
the  whole  object  being  to  prepare  and  discipline  them  for 
their  work.  It  is  not  until  they  have  completed  this  course, 
and  have  sustained  an  examination  by  the  proper  authorities, 
that  they  are  allowed  to  enter  upon  their  duties  as  instructers. 
For  the  preparation  of  teachers  of  country  schools,  for  which 
such  a  thorough  course  of  discipline  is  not  considered  neces- 
sary, there  are  smaller  institutions,  several  in  each  province, 
all  under  the  direction  of  government.  These  teachers  are 
also  examined  as  to  their  moral  and  mental  qualifications, 
before  they  are  allowed  to  enter  even  on  the  lowest  grade  of 
elementary  instruction.     With  respect  to  the  mode  by  which 


12 

the  schools  are  supported,  it  must  be  remarked  that  it  is 
different  in  different  cases.  The  gymnasia,  as  they  are 
designed  for  the  higher  classes  of  the  people,  are  either  sup- 
ported by  their  own  funds,  (for  some  of  them  are  very  exten- 
sive establishments  which  have  been  in  operation  for  centu- 
ries ;  the  one  in  Nordhausen  being  I  think,  300  years  old)  or 
by  the  usual  tuition  fees.  The  lower  schools  are  supported 
by  tax,  where  there  is  no  adequate  provision  already  existing; 
very  much  as  in  Massachusetts.  The  whole  country  is 
divided  into  districts,  and  the  property  in  each  district  is 
assessed  for  the  support  of  its  school.  This  is  the  simplest 
and  most  efficacious  plan.  The  schools  are  then  not  only 
free,  but  every  parent  is  required  under  pain  of  fine  or  im- 
prisonment to  send  his  children.  This  law  extends  to  the 
Jews,  Protestants,  and  Catholics.  If  the  Jews  in  any  one 
place  be  sufficiently  numerous,  and  have  property  enough, 
they  have  schools  of  their  own.  If  this  be  not  the  case, 
they  must  send  their  children  to  those  of  the  Chri  stains. 
The  Catholics  have  their  own  seminaries  for  the  preparation 
of  teachers,  and  their  own  schools  supported  in  the  same 
manner,  and  under  the  same  regulations  with  those  of  the 
Protestants. 

As  to  the  course  of  instruction  pursued  in  these  several 
institutions,  my  time  will  allow  me  to  say  very  little.  In 
the  gymnasia,  there  is  a  very  thorough  course,  in  the  ancient 
languages,  in  several  of  the  modern  tongues,  in  mathematics, 
geography,  history,  &:c.  The  leading  features  of  the  system 
pursued,  are,  having  a  great  number  of  teachers,  generally 
in  the  proportion  of  one  to  every  ten  or  fifteen  students ; 
and  combining  constancy  with  variety  of  occupation.  Dur- 
ing most  days  of  the  week,  the  pupils  have  from  seven  to 
eight  exercises,  on  as  many  different  subjects,  passing  from 
one  teacher  to  another.  It  is  in  these  institutions  that  the 
German  literati  lay  the  foundation  of  their  future  eminence. 
The    course  is  from  five   to    eight  years.     In  schools  of 


13 

the  second  class,  the  ancient  languages  are  omitted,  but  most 
of  the  other  branches  are  attended  to.  In  those  of  the  third 
class,  only  the  elementary  branches,  reading,  writing,  and 
arithmetic  are  taught.  In  all  these  schools,  music  is  a  regu- 
lar matter  of  instruction.  But  the  most  interesting  feature 
of  this  whole  system,  is,  that  religion  is  as  regularly  and  as 
systematically  taught  as  any  other  subject.  Each  class  of 
schools  has  its  regular  text-books  on  this  subject ;  and  in 
all,  the  history  and  leading  principles,  both  in  doctrines  and 
morals,  of  the  scriptures,  are  inculcated.  The  nature  of  this 
instruction,  depends  of  course,  very  much  on  the  individual 
character  of  the  man  to  whom  it  is  committed,  and  it  is  too 
often  the  case,  that  it  embraces  little  more  than  the  leading 
fects  and  moral  principles  of  the  Bible,  still  even  this  is  of 
immense  advantage. 

It  would  be  interesting  and  instructive,  did  our  time  per- 
mit, to  compare  in  detail  the  plan  now  described,  with  those 
adopted  in  different  parts  of  our  own  country.  We  should 
find,  I  think,  with  regard  to  thoroughness  of  instruction  in 
the  higher  schools,  to  the  means  taken  to  prepare  suitable 
teachers,  and  the  plan  adopted  for  the  support  of  the  schools 
and  securing  regular^attendance  on  the  part  of  the  children, 
that  we  have  still  much  to  learn  from  the  experience  of 
older  countries.  As  this  is  a  subject  which  is  so  intimately 
connected  with  the  best  interests  of  men,  it  demands  the 
attention  of  all  the  friends  of  knowledge  and  religion. 

There  is  one  point  suggested  by  what  has  been  said, 
worthy  of  particular  consideration.  Is  it  not  possible  in 
this  country,  to  have  the  Christian  religion  taught  in 
tlie  common  schools  f  The  great  difficulty  is,  the  clashing 
views  and  interests  of  the  different  religious  denominations  ; 
and  the  principle  that  the  state  can  in  no  way  interfere  on 
the  subject  of  religion.  With  regard  to  the  latter,  it  may 
easily  be  gotten  over,  for  the  government  has  nothing  to  do, 
either  with  the  selection  of  the  teacher,  or  with  the  course 


14 

of  instruction.  This  depends  on  the  commissioners  of  the 
several  districts.  If  public  opinion  once  be  brought  to  de- 
cide for  the  measure,  it  can  be  accomplished  ;  and  in  many 
places  where  the  people  are  of  the  same  denomination,  the 
more  serious  difficulty,  arising  from  sectarian  jealousies  and 
opinions,  may  be  avoided.  But  even  in  districts  where  the 
several  denominations  are  nearly  equally  numerous,  cannot 
this  important  object  be  attained  ?  The  various  sects  are 
uniting,  not  only  to  distribute  the  Bible,  but  also  to  circulate 
doctrinal  tracts  ;  may  they  not  be  induced  to  unite,  in  the 
preparation  of  religious  school  books,  books  in  which  the 
historical  facts  and  essential  doctrines,  in  which  all  evangeli- 
cal denominations  agree,  may  be  taught  and  inculcated  ?  If 
such  books  could  receive  the  sanction  of  the  ruling  bodies  of 
the  various  sects  among  us,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  to 
their  being  generally  introduced.  If  this  cannot  be  accom- 
plished, cannot  at  least  the  Bible  be  introduced?  Not  merely 
to  be  read,  but  regularly  studied,  as  in  our  Sabbath  schools. 
Experience  has  taught,  that  no  instrument  is  better  adapted  to 
the  education  of  children.  It  calls  into  exercise  all  their  fa- 
culties, interests  their  feelings,  and  cultivates  their  moral  pow- 
ers. This  truth  is  so  obvious,  that  in  the  country  of  which  we 
have  been  speaking,  men  who  have  no  regard  for  the  Bible, 
as  the  word  of  God,  on  mere  philosophical  principles,  urge 
its  being  made  the  great  instrument  in  the  education  of  the 
young.  If  the  Bible  have  all  these  advantages  for  calling 
forth  and  exercising  the  faculties  of  children,  it  would  seem, 
that  nothing  short  of  a  dread  of  its  effiict  in  cultivating  the 
moral  and  religious  feelings,  could  lead  to  its  being  thrown 
aside,  and  the  miserable  fables  commonly  employed,  adopted 
in  its  stead.  How  different  would  be  the  state  of  Christen- 
dom, had  Christians  taught  their  children  the  Bible  as  faith- 
fully as  Mussulmans  have  taught  the  Koran. 

Unless  some  plan  can  be  adopted  of  introducing  religious 
instruction  into  the  common  schools,  we  must  consent  to 


15 

see  a  large  portion  of  our  population  growing  up  in  igno- 
rance of  the  first  principles  of  moral  and  religious  truth. 
For  if  this  matter  be  left  entirely  to  parents  or  pastors,  it 
can  be  but  imperfectly  attended  to.  There  will  always  be 
a  large  number  of  the  people,  who  belong  to  no  denomina- 
tion and  come  under  the  care  of  none.  There  is  said  to  be 
70,000  of  such  persons,  in  the  single  city  of  New- York  ; 
and  we  need  not  go  many  miles  from  our  village  to  find 
individuals  who  hardly  know  that  there  is  a  God.  What 
the  result  will  be,  of  thus  neglecting  the  moral  education  of 
the  people,  it  requires  no  prophetic  spirit  to  foretel.  If 
pulilic  virtue  be  necessary  to  the  existence  of  free  institu- 
tions ;  if  reason  and  experience  teach,  that  religious  know- 
ledge and  culture  are  essential  to  virtue  ;  to  leave  the  peo- 
ple destitute  of  this  knowledge  and  this  culture,  is  to  secure 
the  destruction  of  our  civil  liberty.  Experience  has  shown, 
that  a  free  government  cannot  exist,  where  the  mass  of  the 
population  is  ignorant  and  immoral,  and  the  term  of  its  con- 
tinuance amongst  us  is  fixed  to  the  period,  when  the  unedu- 
cated and  vicious  shall  constitute  the  majority  of  the  people. 
It  is  enough  to  contrast  the  degradation  of  men  who  have 
had  no  moral  instruction  in  their  youth,  with  the  character  of 
those  who  have  been  brought  up  under  the  influence  of  the 
gospel,  to  have  the  heart  filled  with  zeal  for  the  extension  of 
the  blessings  of  religious  education,  even  if  this  world  were 
the  only  theatre  of  man's  existence.  But  when  we  consider 
that  these  men,  whom  we  thus  desert  to  ignorance  of  God 
and  his  word,  are  forming  their  character  for  eternity,  the 
importance  of  this  subject  is  seen  and  felt  to  be  infinite. 

The  success  which  in  other  countries  has  attended  the 
efforts  to  render  religious  education  universal,  should  en- 
courage us  to  make  the  attempt  here.  So  thoroughly  is  the 
system,  just  detailed,  carried  through  in  Prussia,  that  1  never 
met  a  poor  boy  selling  matches  in  the  streets,  (and  I  made 
several  experiments  of  the  kind,)  who  could  not  answer  any 


16 

common  question,  on  the  historical  parts  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments.  And  one  of  the  school  commissioners  af 
Halle,  (a  town  containing  twentj-four  or  twenty-six  thou- 
sand inhabitants,)  told  me  that  a  recent  investigation  led  to 
the  discovery  of  only  fifty  or  sixty  children  who  had  hitherto 
neglected  to  attend  the  schools.  Do  not  let  us  calmly  sit  still, 
therefore,  and  suppose  that  nothing  can  be  done.  If  we  cannot 
introduce  religious  instruction  at  once,  into  all  the  schools 
in  our  country,  nor  throughout  a  whole  state,  we  may  at 
least,  endeavour  to  eJEFect  the  object,  in  our  own  immediate 
neighborhoods. 

The  course  we  are  pursuing  in  this  country,  is  much  the 
same  as  that  which  has  been  so  long  pursued  in  England. 
They  build  churches  and  erect  school-houses.  Those  who 
choose  to  seek  religious  knowledge  may  find  it ;  but  there  is 
no  provision  made  for  the  instruction  of  all  the  people  in 
the  principles  of  Christianity,  and  the  consequence  is,  that 
an  alarming  proportion  of  them,  is  left  in  utter  ignorance  on 
the  subject.  This  is  the  great  cause  of  the  dreadful  amount 
of  crime  in  that  country.  The  commitments  in  England 
and  Wales  are  four  to  one  in  proportion  to  the  population, 
to  what  they  are  even  in  France,  and  I  presume  they  are 
six  or  eight  to  one  to  what  they  are  in  Prussia.  Brethren, 
bear  this  subject  in  mind,  remember  how  much  depends 
both  in  time  and  eternity  on  the  instruction  of  the  young. 

There  is  another  subject  connected  with  religious  educa- 
tion, which  must  not  be  passed  over,  and  that  is,  pastoral 
attention  to  the  young.  I  have  received  the  impression 
that  this  is  carried  to  a  much  greater  extent,  in  some  of  the 
continental  churches,  than  it  is  among  ourselves.  In  the 
Lutheran  church,  as  you  probably  know  it  is  customary, 
that  boys  at  the  age  of  fourteen  and  girls  at  fifteen,  should 
be  confirmed  ;  that  is,  be  called  upon  to  assume  their  baptis- 
mal vows,  and  solemnly  recognise  themselves  as  members  of 
the  church.  That  there  are  serious  evils  attending  this  usage. 


17 

is  very  obvious,  but  that  much  good  is  effected  by  the  pasto- 
ral attention  to  the  young,  which  it  occasions,  cannot  be 
denied.  The  candidates  for  confirmation  each  year,  are 
formed  into  a  class  or  classes,  to  which  it  is  the  pastor's 
duty  to  devote  several  hours  in  every  week,  instructing  them 
in  the  principles  of  the  gospel  and  of  their  own  particular 
church.  This  course  of  instruction  continues  through  the 
year  ;  and  as  every  child  must  be  confirmed,  the  whole  mass 
of  the  people,  rich  and  poor,  from  the  king's  son  to  the 
children  of  the  peasant,  are  regularly  indoctrinated  in  the 
christian  system.  The  degree  of  fidelity  with  which  this 
duty  is  performed,  depends  on  the  character  of  the  pastor : 
but  it  may  be  remarked  that  even  the  Rationalists,  in  general, 
retain  the  use  of  Luther's  catechism  and  other  evangelical 
formulas  in  the  instruction  of  the  young.  I  have  witnessed 
few  scenes  more  impressive  than  the  induction  of  one  of 
these  little  flocks  of  the  lambs  of  Christ,  into  his  sacred 
fold.  On  the  day  appointed  for  this  service  they  came  to 
the  church,  with  their  pastor  at  their  head.  Their  entrance 
was  greeted  with  a  burst  of  cheerful  music,  in  which  all 
hearts  and  voices  joined.  Arranged  before  the  pulpit,  the 
pastor  proceeded  to  explain  to  them  the  situation  in  which 
they  stood.  Consecrated  to  God  in  baptism,  they  had  been 
given  to  the  church  by  their  parents ;  but  having  now 
attained  an  age  at  which  they  were  capable  of  acting  for 
themselves;  having  been  instructed  in  the  doctrines  and 
requirements  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  in  the  faith  and 
discipline  of  their  own  church ;  they  were  to  decide  whether 
they  would  remain  in  that  church,  receive  its  doctrines  and 
submit  to  its  watch  and  care.  For  the  satisfaction  of  those 
present,  their  pastor  examined  them  on  the  history  and  doc- 
trines of  the  Bible,  received  their  profession  of  faith,  and 
solemn  assent  to  be  regarded  as  under  the  guardianship 
of  the  church.  They  knelt  before  him,  the  name  and  bles- 
sing of  God  was  invoked  upon  them,  and  they  arose  in  a 
new  relation  to  the  household  of  faith. 

C 


18 

I  am  not,  brethren,  appearing  here  as  the  advocate  of  con- 
firmation ;  for  I  am  persuaded,  that  permitting  children,  and 
all  children  thus  to  grow  up  into  the  church  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  thus  break  down  the  distinction  between  the 
church  and  the  world,  would  more  than  counterbalance  all 
the  good,  effected  by  this  regular  course  of  religious  instruc- 
tion. I  merely  state  these  facts  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
subject,  and  to  have  the  opportunity  of  inquiring  whether 
sufficient  pastoral  attention  is  devoted  to  the  young  ?  whether 
something  more  might  not  be  done,  to  secure  their  regular 
indoctrination  in  our  faith  and  discipline,  and  to  destroy  the 
indefinite  relation  in  which  they  now  grow  up,  to  the  church  ? 
whether  they  might  not  be  formed  into  a  nursery,  to  be  tended 
with  peculiar  care,  from  which  the  plants,  from  time  to  time 
might  be  transplanted  into  the  garden  of  the  Lord  ?  As  this 
is  a  subject  so  immediately  connected  with  Pastoral  Theo- 
logy, I  refer  you  to  the  solemn  lessons,  which  await  you  on 
this  point,  in  a  more  advanced  stage  of  your  course. 

III.  A  third  great  truth  which  an  observation  of  the  state 
of  European  churches,  is  adapted  to  impress  upon  the  mind, 
is,  the  intimate  connexion  between  speculative  opinion^ 
and  moral  character. 

There  is  no  sentiment  more  frequently  advanced,  than 
that  a  man's  opinions  have  little  to  do  with  his  moral  charac- 
ter, and  yet  there  is  none  more  fundamentally  erroneous. 
The  fact  is,  that  opinions  on  moral  and  religious  subjects 
depend  mainly  on  the  state  of  the  moral  and  religious  feel- 
ings. Mere  argument  can  no  more  produce  the  intimate 
persuasion  of  moral  truth,  than  it  can  of  beauty.  As  it  de- 
pends on  our  refinement  of  taste,  what  things  to  us  are  beau- 
tiful, so  it  depends  upon  our  religious  feelings,  what  doctrines 
for  us  are  true.  A  man's  real  opinions,  are  the  expression 
of  his  character.  They  are  the  forms  in  which  his  inward 
feelings  embody  themselves,  and  become  visible.  The 
secret  conviction  of  this  truth,  is  the  reason,  that  the  ascrip- 
tion of  obnoxious  opinions,  is  always  regarded  as  an  asper- 


19 

sion  on  character.  Why  is  the  denial  of  God's  existence 
regarded  with  horror,  by  all  classes  of  men,  but  because  it 
presupposes  a  heart  dead  to  all  the  manifestations  of  his  glory 
in  creation,  in  our  own  nature,  and  in  his  word  ?  The  denial 
of  Gods  justice  is  aproof  of  insensibility  to  sin;  the  rejection 
of  Jesus  Christ,  of  blindness  to  his  moral  loveliness.  It  is 
therefore,  an  important  truth,  that  no  serious  religious  error 
can  exist,  without  a  corresponding  perversion  or  destruction 
of  religious  feelings. 

To  prevent  misapprehension,  it  may  be  proper  to  remark 
that  while  it  is  asserted,  that  if  a  man's  feelings  be  in  a  pro- 
per state,  he  will  embrace  and  believe  the  truth  as  soon  it  is 
presented;  it  is  freely  admitted,  that  a  man's  opinions  may  be 
correct,  and  yet  his  moral  character  corrupt.  But  in  this 
case,  these  opinions  are  merely  nominal,  they  form  no  part 
of  the  intimate  persuasion  of  his  soul,  and  hence,  are  no  ex- 
pression of  his  character. 

In  support  of  the  point  we  are  considering,  we  might  refer 
to  the  different  systems  of  religion,  throughout  the  world, 
and  observe  their  correspondence  with  the  peculiar  charac- 
ter of  the  people  who  embrace  them.  The  contemplative  and 
effeminate  systems  of  Eastern  Asia  ;  the  mixture  of  loftiness 
and  sensuality  in  the  religion  of  Mohammed ;  the  refinement, 
licentiousness  and  general  disregard  of  principle  in  the  theo- 
logy of  the  Greeks  ;  the  more  rigid  features  of  the  religion 
of  the  early  Romans  ;  or  the  sanguinary  creed  of  the  war- 
like nations  of  Northern  Europe.  Or  we  might  refer  to 
the  characteristic  traits  of  the  various  sects  in  Christendom, 
and  observe  how  the  leading  features  of  each  are  expressed 
in  their  peculiar  opinions.  Those  in  whom  the  imagination 
predominates,  who  have  liveliness  without  depth  of  religi- 
ous feeling  and  but  little  reflection,  have  a  rehgion  of  pomp 
and  splendid  forms,  of  fasts  and  festivals  and  of  easy  means 
of  satisfying  the  conscience.  All  those  in  whose  systems 
the  sovereignty  of  God,  the  helplessness  and  dependance 
of  man,  his  depravity  and  solemn  responsibility  occupy  the 


20 

leading  parts  ;  have  been  distinguished  for  severity,  strict- 
ness, separation  from  the  world,  depth  of  feeling  and  fixed- 
ness of  purpose :  a  strong  determined  character,  whose 
tendency  is  to  make  the  severer,  prevail  over  the  milder 
features  of  religion.  The  Armenian  system  is  the  natural 
expression,  of  feelings  less  strongly  marked,  of  less  reve- 
rence for  God,  less  humihating  views  of  man,  and  in  general 
of  less  prominence  and  depth  of  religious  character.  Those 
who  have  no  inward  necessity  for  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  no  apprehension  of  God's  holiness,  no  fear  of  his 
justice,  no  adequate  sense  of  sin,  need  no  atoning  Saviour, 
and  no  sanctifying  Spirit,  and  thus  easily  satisfy  themselves 
with  the  doctrines  of  natural  rehgion.  Another  proof  of 
this  point  is,  that  whenever  a  change  occurs  in  the  religious 
opinions  of  a  community,  it  is  always  preceded  by  a  change 
in  their  religious  feelings.  The  natural  expression  of  the 
feelings  of  true  piety,  is  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  As  long 
as  these  feelings  are  retained,  these  doctrines  will  be  retain- 
ed ;  but  should  they  be  lost,  the  doctrines  are  either  held  for 
form  sake  or  rejected,  according  to  circumstances ;  and 
if  the  feelings  be  again  called  into  life,  the  doctrines  return 
as  a  matter  of  course.  The  proof  of  this  remark  must  be 
sought  in  ecclesiastical  history.  Its  truth  can  only  be  ob- 
served, however,  where  there  is  freedom  of  opinion  ;  where 
the  mind  is  left  to  assume  its  natural  form,  and  adopt  opinions, 
most  congenial  with  its  state.  When  every  thing  is  fixed 
and  immoveable,  as  in  the  Catholic  church,  there  will,  of 
course,  be  little  change  visible,  whatever  may  actually  take 
place  beneath  the  unvarying  surface.  But  in  Protestant 
countries  we  see  abundant  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  the 
remark.  In  Scotland,  the  doctrines  of  the  church  are  re- 
tained only  by  those  who  retain  the  spirit  of  the  framers  of 
their  confession.  In  Geneva  the  system  of  Calvin  did  not 
survive  the  spirit  of  its  author.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
France,  and  all  parts  of  Germany.  In  this  latter  country 
the  truth  of  our  remark  is  more  observable,  because  more 


21 

violent  changes  have  there  occurred  than  in  any  other  por- 
tion of  Christendom. 

After  the  struggle  against  infidelity  had  been  sustained  in 
England,  it  passed  over  into  France  and  thence  into  Ger- 
many. Here  it  achieved  its  greatest  triumph.  Christianity 
had  well  nigh  ceased  to  be  even  the  nominal  religion  of 
the  land — men  began  to  talk  of  the  introduction  of  a  new 
Bible — of  the  abolition  of  tne  clergy — and  of  the  very  form 
of  the  church.  To  this  remarkable  event,  this  distressing 
fall  of  so  large  and  important  a  part  of  Protestant  Christen- 
dom, the  eyes  of  all  interested  in  religion  have  been  natu- 
rally turned,  and  a  general  demand  made,  what  could  have 
been  the  cause  of  so  general  and  lamentable  a  defection. 
Much  has  been  written  on  this  subject,  and  a  thousand  causes 
assigned,  while  the  most  obvious  has  been  the  least  regarded. 
The  simple  fact  is,  that  vital  religion  had  been  long  declin- 
ing. There  seem  to  be  certain  cycles,  through  which  almost 
every  church,  is  more  or  less  regularly  passing.  During 
one  age,  there  are  many  revivals  of  religion,  and  a  general 
prevalence  of  evangelical  spirit  and  exertion  ;  to  this  suc- 
ceeds a  period  of  coldness  and  declension  ;  and  to  this,  either 
a  period  of  revival  or  of  open  departure  from  the  faith.  In 
Germany,  at  the  period  of  the  reformation,  there  was  a 
general  revival  of  religion ;  to  this  succeeded  a  period  of 
cold  orthodoxy  brought  about  principally  by  perpetual  con- 
troversy on  unimportant  subjects.  This  long  period,  was 
but  partially  interrupted  by  the  revival  under  Frankc  and 
Spener.  After  which,  things  relapsed  into  their  former 
course.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  was  so  tiresome  and 
controversial  that  it  could  produce  little  effect  upon  the 
people.  Practical  religion  was  no  necessary  requisite  for 
admission  into  the  ministry  ;  and  the  clergy  soon  became  as 
little  distinguished  for  piety,  as  any  other  class  of  men.  This 
being  the  case,  their  holding  or  rejecting  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  was  a  mere  matter  of  circumstance.  As  long  as 
their  interest,  or  standing  depended  upon  their  nominal 


22 

faith,  they  retained  it ;  but  as  soon  as  fashion  and  interest 
was  on  the  side  of  rejecting  it,  they  rejected  it.  Under 
Frederick  the  Great,  mfidehty  became  the  fashion;  no  oppro- 
brium was  attached  even  to  the  clergy,  declaring  themselves 
superior  to  the  opinions  and  prejudices  of  darker  ages. 
They  had  lost  their  hold  on  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  and 
stood  ready  to  be  carried  away  by  the  first  blast  that  blew. 

The  fact,  that  at  this  juncture,  the  philologians,  Heyne 
and  Wolf,  gave  a  new  spring  to  historical  criticism,  and  com- 
menced distinguishing  on  critical  grounds,  the  genuine  from 
the  spurious  parts  of  the  ancient  classics  ;  led  Semler  and 
his  school  to  follow  the  same  course  with  regard  the  to 
Bible.  And  as  they  had  no  inward  necessity  for  believ- 
ing, their  fancying,  that  they  discovered  critical  grounds 
for  the  rejection  of  this  or  that  book  of  scripture,  or  the 
whole,  led  them  to  renounce  their  faith  in  the  word  of  God. 
New  systems  of  philosophy  now  making  their  appearance, 
moulding  religion  into  a  hundred  different  shapes,  completed 
the  effect,  of  turning  the  already  really  unbelieving  clergy 
and  others,  into  the  ranks  of  open  infidelity.  It  was  not 
until  severe  national  and  private  afflictions  began  to  turn  the 
minds  of  all  classes  of  men  towards  God,  and  awaken  feel- 
ings which  found  no  appropriate  objects  in  the  barren  sys- 
tems of  philosophical  religion,  that  men  began  to  return  to 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  And  just  in  proportion  as  this 
revival  of  religion  has  advanced,  has  been  the  return  to 
orthodoxy.  Thus  as  irreligion  preceded  infidelity,  the  revi- 
val of  religion  has  preceded  a  return  to  soundness  of  faith. 
It  is  this  vital  connexion  between  piety  and  truth,  that  is  the 
great  and  solemn  lesson,  taught  by  the  past  and  present  state 
of  the  German  churches. 

This  correspondence  between  opinion  and  character,  is 
strikingly  observable  in  the  various  religious  parties  in  that 
section  of  the  church.  The  leading  parties,  are  the  Orthodox, 
the  Rationalists  and  the  Pantheists.  Wherever  you  find 
vital  piety,  that  is,  penitence,  and  a  devotional  spirit,  there 


23 

you  find,  the  doctrines  of  the  fall,  of  depravity,  of  regene- 
ration, of  atonement,  and  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ.  I 
never  saw  nor  heard  of  a  single  individual,  who  exhibited  a 
spirit  of  piety,  who  rejected  any  one  of  these  doctrines.  There 
are  many  who  have  great  reverence  for  Jesus  Christ  and 
regard  for  the  scriptures,  but  having  no  experience  of  the 
power  of  the  gospel,  they  have  no  clear  views  nor  firm  con- 
viction of  its  doctrines  ;  they  are  vacillating  on  the  borders 
of  two  classes  in  opinion,  exactly  as  they  are  in  feeling. 

The  Rationahsts  as  a  body,  are  precisely  like  common  men 
of  the  world.     In  general,  orderly  in  their  lives,  but  without 
the  least  semblance  of  experimental  piety.    They  regard  it 
as  mysticism,  exaggeration,  enthusiasm,  or  hypocrisy.    Some 
few,  from  the  natural  turn  of  their  minds,  have  something  of 
the  poetry  and  sentimentality  of  religion,  but  nothing  of  vital 
godliness.     In  Pantheism  there  is  room  and  expression  for 
a  variety  of  character.     Some  men  of  elevated  intellects, 
discourse  much,  of  the  sublimity  and  grandeur  of  the  infinite, 
and  bow  with  a  sort  of  adoration,  before  the  living  universe. 
But  as  this  infinite  is  not  a  person,  is  neither  moral  nor  intel- 
ligent, this  system,  while  it  inflates  the  imagination,  gives  no 
object  for  the  moral  feelings :  and  hence,  when  men  who 
have  much  of  these  feelings  fall  into  its  snares,  they  are  in  tor- 
ment until  they  find  dehverance.     Others  of  this  class,  from 
the  idea,  that  the  all  pervading  principle,  is  most  completely 
developed  in  intelligent  beings,  and  most  of  all,  in  those  who 
have  come  to  a  consciousness  of  their  identity  with  this  prin- 
ciple, are  filled  with  the  most  amazing  pride  j  they  are  God 
in  the  highest  state  of  his  existence.     These  are  self-idola- 
ters. Others  again,  of  a  different  cast,  love  to  feel  themselves 
a  part  of  an  illimitable  whole,  which  moves  on  and  must 
move  on,  through  its  vast  cycles,  without  their  co-operation 
or  responsibihty,  and  look  forward   with  complacency,  to 
going  out,  like  a  spark  in  the  ocean,  unnoticed  and  unre- 
membered  in  the  infinitude  of  being. 

Now,  brethren,  if  these  things  be  so,  if  a  man's  religious 


24 

opinions  are  the  result  and  expression  of  his  religious  feel- 
ings, if  heterodoxy  be  the  consequence  rather  than  the  cause 
of  the  loss  of  piety,  then  "keep  your  hearts  with  all  dili- 
gence, for  out  of  them  are  the  issues  of  life."  Reniember 
that  it  is  only  in  God's  light  that  you  can  see  light.  That 
holiness  is  essential  to  correct  knowledge  of  divine  things, 
and  the  great  security  from  error.  And  as  you  see,  that 
when  men  lose  the  life  of  religion,  they  can  believe  the  most 
monstrous  doctrines,  and  glory  in  them  ;  and  that  when  the 
clergy  once  fall  into  such  errors,  generations  perish  before 
the  slow  course  of  reviving  piety  brings  back  the  truth ; 
"  what  manner  of  men  ought  you  to  be  in  all  holy  conver- 
sation and  godhness."  Not  only  then  for  your  own  sake,  but 
for  the  sake  of  your  children,  and  your  children's  children, 
forsake  not  your  God  ;  w!io  is  our  God,  because  he  was 
the  God  of  our  fathers.  The  fate  of  future  ages,  rests 
with  every  present  generation. 

Again,  beware  of  any  course  of  life  or  study,  which  has  a 
tendency  to  harden  your  hearts,  and  deaden  the  delicate  sen- 
sibility of  the  soul  to  moral  truth  and  beauty.  There  are 
two  ways  in  which  this  may  be  done,  a  course  of  sin,  and 
indulgence  in  metaphysical  speculations  on  divine  things. 
The  reason,  why  such  speculations  produce  this  etFect,  is, 
that  the  views  of  truth  thus  taken  are  not  of  its  moral  nature, 
and  of  course  produce  no  moral  feeling,  but  the  reverse. 
Let  a  man,  when  contemplating  the  grandeur  of  alpine 
scenery,  begin  to  examine  the  structure  of  the  mountains, 
and  study  their  geological  character ;  what  becomes  ©f 
his  emotions  of  sublimity  1  Thus  also  religious  truth, 
viewed  in  the  general,  produces  devotion  ;  metaphysically 
analyzed  it  destroys  it.  Where  is  our  reverence  and  awe 
of  God,  while  prying  into  his  essence  or  scrutinizing  his 
attributes?  Where  are  our  feelings  of  penitence,  when  dis- 
puting on  the  origin  of  evil  ?  our  sense  of  responsibility  when 
discussing  free-will  and  dependence  ?  That  it  may  be  neces- 
sary to  attend  to  these  subjects,  and  get  as  far  as  possible  defi- 


25 

nite  ideas  respecting  them,  no  one  will  deny  ;  but  when  our 
habitual  views  of  truth,  are  of  this  nature,  there  is  an  end 
of  all  feeling  on  the  subject.  There  is  another  remark,, 
which  may  here  be  made.  When  a  man  prefers  examining, 
the  geological  structure  of  a  mountainous  region,  to  the  con- 
templation of  its  grandeur  ;  he  only  prefers  the  acquisition, 
of  knowledge  to  the  enjoyment  of  an  elevating  emotion  ; 
but  as  the  objects  of  his  examination  are  external,  and  have 
no  connexion  with  the  emotions  of  his  mind,  his  insensibility 
is  no  obstacle  to  his  progress.  But  with  regard  to  moral 
subjects  the  case  is  far  different ;  the  feelings  destroyed  by 
metaphysical  investigation,  are  the  very  objects  to  be  inves- 
tigated, for  their  moral  quality  is  their  essence.  If  this  be 
weakened  or  destroyed,  there  is  nothing  left;  and  a  man  in 
this  state  is  no  more  qualified  to  speak  on  these  subjects, 
than  the  deaf  to  discourse  on  music.  This  is  the  reason 
that  metaphysicians  so  often  advance  doctrines,  which  the 
whole  world  know  to  be  false,  because  they  contradict  the 
strongest  moral  feelings  of  the  soul;  Will  the  mass  of  pious 
people  ever  be  brought  to  believe,  that  God  is  the  author  of 
sin  ?  that  man  is  not  free,  and  consequently  not  accountable  ? 
that  sin  is  not  a  moral  evil,  but  mere  imperfect  develope- 
ment  ?  or  the  still  more  horrible  opinion,  that  God  himself, 
is  merely  the  blind  instinctive  principle,  which  animates  and 
constitutes  the  universe,  of  which  neither  moral  nor  intellec- 
tual qualities  can  be  predicated  ?  Yet  metaphysicians  teach 
all  these  doctrines.  Look  around  you,  brethren,  and  see  if 
these  things  be  not  so.  As  far  as  my  observation  extends, 
it  is  the  uniform  tendency  of  such  speculations  to  deaden 
the  moral  sensibility  of  the  soul.  Beware  then  of  unhal- 
lowed speculations  on  sacred  subjects.  Bring  all  your  doc- 
trines to  the  test  of  God's  word  and  of  holiness.  Go  with 
your  new  opinions  to  the  aged  children  of  God,  who  have 
spent  years  in  close  communion  with  the  Father  of  lights. 
Propose  to  them  your  novel  doctrines,  should  thej  shock 
their  feelings,  depend  upon  it,  they  are  false  and  dangerous. 

D 


26 

The  approbation  of  an  experienced  Christian  of  any  purely 
religious  opinion,  is  worth  more,  than  that  of  any  merely 
learned  theologian  upon  earth. 

Finally,  lean  not  to  your  own  understanding.  If  there 
be  any  declaration  of  the  Bible,  confirmed  by  the  history  of 
the  church,  and  especially  by  the  recent  history  of  European 
churches,  it  is  that "  he  that  leaneth  to  his  own  understanding 
is  a  fool."  When  men  forsake  the  word  of  God,  and  profess 
to  be  wise  above  that  which  is  written,  they  inevitably  and 
universally  lose  themselves  in  vain  speculations.  Look  at 
the  state  of  things,  when  every  man  is  following  the  light  of 
his  own  reason.  Each  boasts  that  he  alone  has  the  truth, 
and  yet  each  is  often  a  miracle  of  folly  to  every  man  but 
himself.*  True,  such  men  are  often  men  of  great  intellect ; 
but  can  mere  intellect  perceive  moral  truth  ?  Can  man  by 
wisdom  find  out  God  ?  can  he  find  out  the  Almighty  unto 
perfection  ?  No  man  knoweth  the  Father  but  the  Son  and 
he  to  whom  the  Son  shall  reveal  him.  Submit  yourselves, 
therefore,  to  the  teaching  of  him,  in  whom  "are  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge."  It  is  only  when  thus 
taught,  that  you  will  be  able  to  teach  others  also. 

One  word  more — keep  as  you  would  your  hold  on  heaven 
your  reverence  for  Jesus  Christ.  Reverenqe  for  the  Re- 
deemer of  sinners,  is  the  very  last  feeling  which  deserts  a 
falling  Christian,  or  a  sinking  church.  When  all  other  evi- 
dence, and  all  other  arguments  for  the  Bible  had  lost  their 
force,  this  solitary  feeling  has  held  up  the  soul  from  sinking 
into  infidelity  and  thence  into  perdition.  When  this  is  lost, 
all  is  lost.  The  soul  that  is  insensible  to  the  glory  of  the 
Son  of  God,  is  "  as  a  tree  twice  dead  and  plucked  up  by  the 
roots." 

♦  J^ihil  tarn  absurde  did  potest,  quod  non  dicalur  ah  aliqtio  philoto- 
phontm. — Cicero. 

4>ao'xovisj  si'vai  docpol  iiiu^av^vidav, — Paul. 


